ISIS, al-Qaeda Terror Threat News 2015: Greece Arrests Suspects Amid Belgium Terror Plot

Greek authorities have taken several people into custody over alleged links to a suspected jihadist terror plot targeting the Belgian police, BBC News reported.

One of the men was accused of having a connection to a cell in the Belgian town of Verviers, where a gun battle with the police left two suspects dead. Belgium held a series of raids on Thursday on a group of suspected jihadists, in which the police confiscated guns, munitions, explosives, police uniforms, and a large sum of money.

One of the men arrested in Greece was believed to have a contact with the cell in Verviers, located close to the German border.

Belgium asked Greece to extradite one of the suspects arrested after being prompted by "further analysis" by the federal prosecutor's office despite saying earlier that there was no connection between those arrested and the alleged terror plot.

"Further analysis of the elements of our investigation gave us enough reasons to ask for the extradition of one of the persons that were arrested yesterday by the Greek authorities," the Belgian federal prosecutors' office said, as quoted by BBC News.

It was unclear if the suspect asked by Belgium to be extradited was the one originally said to match the description of Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the 27-year-old alleged ringleader of the jihadi cell. Belgian media reported on Saturday that authorities are looking for Abaaoud, a Brussels resident of Moroccan origin said to be in hiding in the Southern European country.

It was not confirmed if Abaaoud was among those held by the Greek police in Athens.

Earlier, Greek authorities were reported to have sent DNA samples to Belgium for further investigation.

More than 20 people have been detained in Belgium, France, and Germany as Europe remains on high alert after the recent Paris attacks which left 17 people dead. However, there is no established connection so far between the alleged terror plot in Belgium and the attacks in France.

Belgium's defense officials have raised the security threat at three --the second highest-- and it will remain to be so for a week, BBC News said. Troops have been placed on the streets of Belgium while more than 150 have been patrolling the U.S. embassy, synagogues, and the Jewish museum, which as seen to be potential targets for militants.

There have also been concerns about returning young Europeans who have gone to fight in Iraq and Syria. Belgium says 100 out of its 350 citizens who left to fight have returned and are now being monitored by intelligence services.